Apparatus for raising charges for breech-loading guns to loading position.



Nu. 633,8!6. Patented Sept. 26, 1899. A. T. DAWSON 8|. G. T. BUCKHAPH. APPARATUS FORRAISING CHARGES FOR BBEEGH LOADING GUNS TO LOADING POSITION.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 1899.)

3 Sheath-Shoat I.

21- uenZFr-s N0. 633,8I6. Y Patented Sept. 26, I899. A. T. DAWSON 8:. G. T. BUCKIIAM. APPARATUS FOR RAISING CHARGES FOR BREEOH LOADING GUNS TO LOADING POSITION.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 1899.)

(No Model.)

3 Shaats-Sheet 3.

Nr'r'nn rrien.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAlVSON AND GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE VICKERS, SONS ti: MAXIM, LTMlTED, OF

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING CHARGES FOR BREECH-LOADING GUNS TO LOADING POSITION. I

SPECIFICATION formingpart er Letters Patent No. 633,816, dated September 26, 1899.

ApplioationiiledApril 25, 1899. Serial No. 714.397. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we,AR'r EUR TREVOR. DAW- SON and GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM, citizens of England, residing at N o. 28 Victoria street, \Vestminster, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Apparatus for Rais ing Charges for Breech-Loading Guns to Loading Position, (for which we have made application for a patent in Great Britain, No.

to 20,6l1,dated September-29, 1898,) of which the following is a specification;

This,invention relates to apparatus applicable to a breech-loading gun, according to which the recoil of the gun compresses a spring which on opening the breech for-the purpose of loading the gun is released and automatically .lifts the projectile or the explosive charge, orboth, to a position in line with the bore, ready to be thrust into it by a rammer.

The accompanying drawings show apparatus according to this invention for the pur-' pose.

Figure 1 is a side view of the cradle and rear part of a gun with the apparatus applied thereto. The other figures are drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig. 2 is an end view of the lifting-levers in their down position. Fig. 2 is a detail transverse sectional view taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a view simi- 3o lar "to Fig. 2, showing thelifting-levers in their up position. Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in section, of the breech end of the gun and longitudinal section of the rear part of the spring; and Fig. 4* is a longitudinal section of the front part of the spring.

. On the cradle a is fixed a cylindrical casing '1), within which is fitted to slide a tube 0, containing a helical spring d, the front of which abuts against a piston e, while its rear abuts .40 against a collar 6', screwed into the rear end of the tube 0. Another piston f is fitted to slide in the rear part of the casing b, which has a longitudinal slot 7) in its inner side, through which passes a pin 9, projecting from the piston f in rear of a stud g, (indicated by dotted lines, Figs. 1 and 4,) which proje cts laterally from the side of the breech part h of the gun.

On the lower side of the casing bis pivoted at i a trigger-lever, the front end j of which forms a stop to the endof the tube 1, while a pin it on its rear end is engaged in a campath I, formed on the boss of the breech-plug carrier or, which in opening orclosing the breech turns on a vertical hinge. Through a slot of the triggcr-leverj 70 passes a springlatch 02, having its upper part tubular, with a notch to receive a hook 0. The front end of the tube 0 hasattache'd to it a rope p, which passes over suitable guide;

pulleys to the rounded top of an arm (1 on a rocking shaft -2', which is mounted in a framing q at the side of the breech of the gun. From the rocking shaft '2' a pair of arms 8 descend and carry a tray i, having its side connected by a pair of links to to projections 1'. Another rocking shaft 10, on which is a spring 10, Fig. 2, urging it to turn in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, has one arm it, which rests on one arm of a bell-crank lever ar, the other arm of which bears against one of the arms 8, while 10 has another arm 10 that acts asa stop to a projectile y, lying on an inclined charge platform or way (1 leading down to the tray t.

The apparatus operates as follows: When the gun recoils, the stud on it, acting on the pin of the piston f, drives that piston back and with it the piston e, which is rigidly connected to the piston f by a rod f. As the tube a is prevented by the nosej from movin g rearward, the spring d is compressed, and

a notch on the pistonfis caught by the springlatch '11., so that the spring d remains in compression when the gun is advanced again to firing position. At this time the'arrns sand tray t are in the position shown in Fig. 2, a projectile 3 being in the tray, and other projectiles, such as y, being held back on the incline leading to the tray by the arms of the rock-shat t it. Now, on turning the plug-carrier 1n, opening the breech of the gun, the cam-path on its boss, acting on 7.1, raises it, depressing the nose j, andthus releasing the tubec, which is impelled backward by the spring cl pulling the rope 1). By the pull of the rope the arms q 3, tray 2, and links 21- are caused to take the position shown in Fig. 3, the projectile 2 being raised into position for loading in line with .the bore of the gun. Also, the to ing a spring compressed by the recoil of the gun, a holder for thespring, a rope attached the position occupied by them before the gun gun, to engage the spring-holder, a system of bell-crank lever m being allowed to turn till i 2. The combination with a breech-loading it meets a stop at on the framing q, the arms 3 of w are turned by the spring to an altitude which allows the projectile y to advance and bear against the arm of m. After the projectile z is loaded into the gun the breech is closed, and thus thelatchnis drawn down, releasing the piston f, which was in its rear position, the end'of the tube cabuttingagainst it. The piston f and tube 0 being thus left free to advance, the armss and tray t descend to the position shown in Fig. 2, pulling the rope p, by which the tube 0, with the spring and pistons e and f, are brought forward to recoiled. Also the lever w is turned by the arm 3 to such a position that the projectile y, that had been stopped by it, rolls down into the tray 2, the succeeding projectile being stopped by the arm w of w.

Obviously, instead of projectiles charges of explosive in gylindrical form might be raised by the apparatus, or by-extending the tray t in length rearward such charges placed in the tray behind the projectiles might be raised along with them.

Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we claim- 1. The combination with a breech-loading gun, of a charge-raising apparatus comprisat one end to the spring-holder, a trigger-lever mounted on a non-recoil-ing part of the levers connected with the "other end of the rope, a charge-raising tray carried by said as described.

gun, of a charge-raising apparatus, consisting of aspring, a stud on the breech for com pressing the spring by the recoil, a springholder, a ropeconnected at one end with the spring-holder, a latch for detaining the spring when compressed, a trigger-lever mounted on a non-recoilin g part of the gun and construct ed to engage said latch and the spring-holder, a system of levers arranged at the gun-breech and connected with the other end of said rope, a charge-raising tray carried by said system of levers, and a breech-plug carrier having a cam-path for actuating said trigger-lever to release the spring-holder and retract the latch, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a breech-loading gun, of a charge platform or way and a supporting-framing near the breech of the gun, tray-carrying arm's pivot-ally mounted on the framing, a charge-raising'tray on the arms, mechanism for swinging the arms to raise and lower the tray, a two -ar med lever on the framing, for stopping and releasing succes-. sive gun-charges, a transverse spring-turned shaft having two arms, one for tipping the two-armed lever and the other for arresting and releasing a gun-charge, and a stop for the two-armed lever when tipped by one arm of the spring-turned shaft, said tray-carryingarms acting, when lowered, to restore the two-armed lever and the spring-turned shaft to normal position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set ARTHUR TREVOR- DAWSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM.

Witnesses HENRY KING,

WAL'rER HODGES .REYNER. 

